12
'WHAT DO YOU think of Tony's story?' I said.
Hawk and I were sitting at the counter, having lunch, at the Town Diner in Watertown.
'Well,' Hawk said. 'Bunch of white guys with funny names come pushing into Tony's territory, and Tony lets it slide.'
'Because he was mad at Gillespie?' I said. 'And a couple of others?'
'And because some of the people the white guys with funny names rousted didn't belong to Tony?'
'There is no black crime in Boston that doesn't belong to Tony,' I said.
'How long you think Luther Gillespie last, he starts skimming on Tony?'
'Not as long as he did,' I said. 'Are you saying that Tony's story doesn't ring true.'
'I'm saying it's bullshit.'
'Maybe Tony's afraid of the Ukes,' I said.
'He ain't even afraid of you and me,' Hawk said.
'He is intrepid,' I said.
Hawk took a bite of his BLT and nodded while he chewed.
'Something else going on,' Hawk said when he'd swallowed.
'Maybe they're cutting him in?' I said.
'On what,' Hawk said. 'It's all his anyway. Why he willing to share it?'
'We've ruled out fear,' I said.
Hawk nodded.
'Tony ain't afraid,' Hawk said.
'And we've ruled out inattention.'
'What's the last thing you can think of, Tony didn't notice?'
I was having apple pie for lunch. With cheese. I ate some and drank some coffee. Hawk was drinking orange juice. He asked for another glass.
'Okay, we've ruled out inattention,' I said.
'How 'bout love?'
Hawk smiled.
'Okay, no love,' I said. 'That leaves greed.'
Hawk patted his mouth with his napkin.
'It does.'
'But not just a cut of what he's already got,' I said.
'He keeps what he's got,' Hawk said. 'And he gets what somebody else got.'
'That would be Tony,' I said. 'So how does that work with the Ukrainians?'
'Maybe Tony playing them.'
'Maybe they're playing him.'
'Likely they playing each other,' Hawk said.
'Likely,' I said.
We were quiet while we finished lunch. I had some more coffee. Hawk ate only half of his sandwich. I looked at it.
'No good?' I said.
'Excellent,' Hawk said. 'Just don't eat so much anymore.'
'Because they shot up your alimentary canal?' I said.
'Something like that,' Hawk said. 'Like orange juice though.'
'Maybe you could write a diet book,' I said.
'The sniper diet?'
'I could help you with the writing,' I said, 'being as I'm white and all.'
'We get to that, massa,' Hawk said, 'soon as we clean up the Ukrainians.'
'Be nice if we knew the connection.'
'Would be,' Hawk said.
'Got a guess?'
